The Love of an Older Brother
by Yuna Yami Mouto
Summary: How many brothers do you know who would give up everything for their younger sibling? How many do you know that would sully their name just to protect them? How many know the love of an older brother and all that it entails? Slight KisaIta and mentioned SasuNaru


**The Love of an Older Brother**

 **Summary : How many brothers do you know who would give up everything for their younger sibling? How many do you know that would sully their name just to protect them? How many know the love of an older brother and all that it entails? Slight KisaIta and SasuNaru**

 **A/N: Hi there! Another story! I've finished this in a few hours so I hope that it's okay. It's from Kisame's POV, sort of, and it revolves around our favorite older Uchiha! Slight AU. Hope you enjoy it! Please R &R**

It was a nice day outside that spring afternoon. The sun was shinning, the birds were singing, a nearby stream was peacefully passing by with the fish occasionally jumping out to greet the world. There were a few fluffy clouds sailing across the sky and many birds or insects flew around in joy on this fine day. The smell of flowers filled the air with an intoxicating aroma that just made one want to lay down and laze the day away.

However, not all had this option.

One Hoshigaki Kisame was grumbling as he died the peaceful stream red with blood while he was washing his cloak. The injury to his side wasn't helping matters any as it hurt, even though he had healed a bit. The wound was deep but not fatal, which was more than could be said for the wound of the man that had injured him. However, the wound wasn't the reason Kisame was in a not so good a mood. The reason for his less than happy continuance was sitting on a rock a few feet away, eyes closed, ignoring the half naked blue skinned man.

His partner, Uchiha Itachi, was the reason behind his grumpiness. The younger man, for all his slight form and his much smaller body than his partner's, had whooped his ass not an hour ago because Itachi did not approve of the actions Kisame had wanted to take. Younger and physically more challenged than Kisame he may be, Uchiha Itachi could still beat the crap out of him with his eyes closed and both arms tied behind his back while being held down by two hundred pounds of lead. He wasn't kidding. The seventeen year old was a fucking natural at being a shinobi, a genius that surpassed all other geniuses, of the past and the present and some in their organization, the Akatsuki, even said that there would never be a genius like him ever again. That the likeliness of someone outdoing him were slim to none.

It was on days like these that Kisame was inclined to agree.

His partner was fucking incredible.

They had been on a mission. It wasn't anything special but the money promised to be good and it was easy. It was simple. Assassinate the local feudal lord of a smaller land and his family. Leave no traces back to them or their employer. They had accepted. They defeated the royal guards in seconds. And here's where the problems began. The family consisted of the father, the feudal lord, and his two sons, his wife having died a few years ago due to some unknown illness. The children were crying and the father was begging for all of their lives. Kisame had laughed at how pathetic he was being. Itachi had remained as stoic as ever, yet his coal black eyes were glued to the two boys. The older brother had long brown hair and dark eyes, dressed a lot more fancily, as was normal for the heir, than his black haired younger brother who shared his eyes. The little one was clutching at his brother, no older than eight to his brother's twelve or so years of life. The older one was trying to be brave even as the watched Kisame cut their father in half. The younger brother had started wailing when their parent's blood soaked their shoes and the older had gulped as the shark man turned towards them next with a blood-lustful grin on his face, showing off his sharp teeth.

That is, until Itachi stepped in front of the two boys, face still impassive yet a fire blazing in his eyes that warned his partner to back off if he wanted to still keep his mind in one piece. They had gotten into an one sided argument, Kisame yelling at the top of his lungs and Itachi silently shooting down his every argument with his eyes. They weren't even Sharingan red yet they were scary enough that Kisame would rather endure the punishment from Leader than argue further with this man. Of course, being brash and not the sharpest kunai in the pouch, Kisame had learned this only after he had tried attacking the kids around Itachi. The Uchiha had then given him a sound beating without actually inflicting much wounds. Just bruises that were going to sting a bit and his smarting pride, but oh well.

However, that was when the older brother decided that he valued his life more than his brother and he pushed the eight year old towards the two shinobi. Both reacted on instinct and Kisame was too late before the Samehada ripped the little one in two while the older ran off. Itachi's eyes had been wide, the only indication he was feeling any emotion at all, before the black was replaced with the red Sharingan eyes, unbelievable fury making them blaze like rubies in the sun. The older brother didn't run fifteen feet from the place where he had sacrificed his little brother before merciless, all consuming black flames engulfed his body and reduced him to ashes in a matter of seconds.

Itachi had been brooding since. So had Kisame been grumbling, but that was more so he could distract his partner than because he was really annoyed. He was worried for the Sharingan user, as he was one of the only seven people alive that knew the full truth behind the Uchiha massacre. Most of the others were back in Konoha and only one wouldn't kill the S-rank criminal on sight. The last person was the man who had helped him, Tobi as he called himself, but Tobi - as crazy as he was - had enough sense to fear Itachi. He had good reason to be, as he had revealed once - accidentally - that he had plans for the younger Uchiha brother and Itachi had nearly killed him, had it not been for Leader. He had not even flinched when Leader threatened to kill _him_ , instead telling them all that he will protect his brother with his life and for them to _back off_ from Sasuke.

And that was what was bothering Itachi, Kisame knew. In Itachi's eyes, the world revolved around his younger brother, Sasuke, and there was nothing too wrong, too bad that the boy could do for him to be any lesser in his eyes. Itachi treasured his little brother more than even the extremely greedy feudal lords did their oh so precious riches. He would do anything for him so he couldn't understand how an older brother would sacrifice their younger sibling for their own life.

After all, considering all Itachi had done for Sasuke, Kisame reasoned he would think anyone who betrayed their younger brother insane.

Uchiha Itachi was one of a kind, both as a person and as a shinobi. He was just special and no one could explain how. He had seen the end tails of the great war and had survived the Kyuubi attack unscathed. He was six years old when he enrolled in Konoha's Ninja Academy and he graduated, becoming a genin, a year later because he had mastered the Kage Bunshin no jutsu. At eight, he activated and mastered his Sharingan and at ten, he entered the Chuunin Exams by himself. His opponents forfeited as soon as they learned they were to fight him. At eleven, he became part of the ANBU and two years later, he became a captain. By this time, he was known far and wide as a once in a generation genius to rival the Yondaime Hokage. At that same age, however, he killed his entire clan in order to stop a war that was sure to come as the Uchiha were planning a coup against Konoha and the Hokage. He killed them all save his little brother, for whose life he had begged. He then ran from the village like a criminal and joined the Akatsuki when it was clear he had no place to belong.

Now, Itachi's first day as an Akatsuki member was an interesting one. Kisame had been there when the so called Clan Killer was introduced and he could only see a kid in the Akatsuki cloak and sneer, like his fellow senior members had. They hadn't wanted to accept the kid but Leader had approved of him and so they let it go. Not all of them did and that's how Itachi's legend as the best find of the Akatsuki began. All those who were more than unhappy with the thirteen year old's presence who were actually stupid enough to try something learned and taught others never to mess with the Uchiha. Leader often got headaches when their schedule was delayed due to some idiot picking a fight with the _youngest ever ANBU in history_ so he had asked Itachi not to fight back but to avoid the conflicts. That didn't help much either. Itachi would just dodge any upcoming attacks and his opponents would end up tripping over themselves or running into walls. Leader then ordered for the thirteen year old to be left alone, but that just caused unjustified envy and jealousy so the fights escalated.

It all came down to an end when someone said the wrong thing about Sasuke and Itachi snapped. They had to find another member because there wasn't enough of the man's sanity left for him to ever again be a functional human, let alone ninja. None dared say anything as the still fuming red eyed Itachi walked out of the room. No one dared attack or taunt him again. Not even Sasori and Deidera beyond a certain point.

Itachi was also one of the most successful in the organization. Leader often piled up months worth of work for Itachi and Kisame. The blue skinned man had nothing against that. It just meant there was more things to kill! But the amount of paperwork was backbreaking when placed before him. Almost all requests that came were because Itachi was one of the participants in the group. The requests were for Itachi. Any partner he got was only an added bonus no one really cared about. Kisame had been somewhat ticked off by that until he saw with his own eyes that Itachi definitely lived up to his reputation. He started looking forward to their missions because it allowed him to watch Itachi in his element. It was a sight to behold. Itachi fought like no other he had ever seen.

But Itachi wasn't just a fighter. He had an unmatched intelligence and he knew how to use it. Kisame had seen him solving crossword puzzles in the five minutes it was required to write down all the answers. He liked playing sudoku but he finished that off rather quickly, too. He could beat any of the Akatsuki members in shogi, mahjong and chess and checkers any time he wanted. He could plan out twenty strategies in a matter of seconds. His grades at the Academy rivaled the Yondaime Hokage's and he had solved all questions during the written test in the Chuunin Exams he took without a single mistake. He was often put in charge of their finances, much to Kukazu's displeasure, as Leader knew him capable of finishing it within the hour. He could read over twenty giant scrolls and two books a day if he had the free time. He could learn a jutsu after seeing it preformed once without even needing to use his Sharingan. He freaked people out for that one. It was the reason Orochimaru had wanted his body for. His chakra was very accommodating for all sorts of techniques and it easily adjusted to new things. Perfect for someone who wanted to learn all jutsus ever created.

Itachi had cut his hand off when the man tried to take over his body.

Other than that, Itachi was actually very kind and caring. He didn't like fights and he hated seeing people in pain or suffering. Strange traits for a former ANBU and now Akatsuki member. Especially since he had killed his own family before joining the organization. He wasn't naive to search for good in every person but he could recognize when someone was wearing a ruthless mask to hide the good person underneath it. After all, he wore such a mask for his brother. He offered advice every now and then, whether it was wanted or not. He was perceptive and he showed it when he would throw their medical kit at Kisame when the older man was trying to be tough and let him be. Or, rarely - since Kisame hated showing weakness - he would wrap up the blue man's wounds with his skilled, small hands when his partner couldn't do it himself. He was understanding and accepting of people although he hated liars. Not that anyone _could_ lie to him.

It was all of this and more that had drawn Kisame to the younger in the three and a half years they have been partners. Itachi was perfect in his small imperfections of being human and he wore those imperfections proudly. Itachi didn't strut around, demanding attention. He glided and he got the attention his very presence commanded. He could be scarier than Leader and he was more fearless than even Kisame. The second he walked into a room he was the center of attention yet he only used that when necessary. Itachi was humble and asked for very little. He had a strange obsession with dango that came from his early Academy days. He wasn't so arrogant to forsake training and he was a hard worker. He was stubborn and determined and he didn't judge people, even when they gave him a damn good reason to.

He was also both handsome and beautiful, athletic yet lithe. Slim yet muscular. His hair was smoother than any lady's, his skin softer than a newborn's and his eyes were the deepest pools of ink in which a person would fall and drown. He had no scars on his body. Kisame should know, as he had seen his partner naked more than the man's own mother had. Itachi never gets injured. Even if he didn't have Kisame to watch his back, he wouldn't get injured. He was just good like that. His arms were strong, his legs long and his neck swanlike yet muscled slightly. He had surprisingly long eyelashes and perfect eyebrows. The lines running from his eyes kind of completed the image.

Itachi was a philosopher. He was wise beyond anyone Kisame had ever met. He was a pacifist and hated killing, doing it only when absolutely necessary. He was also the most damaged person Kisame knew. To kill his family and to be hated by his precious little brother ... it took a lot of guts, to make that sacrifice.

Kisame looked at his partner now, the seemingly emotionless eyes and the impassive face as he sat there, in the sunlight and the gently falling sakura flower petals. The pink was a whirlwind of paradise on Earth in this peaceful meadow yet Itachi was like the black cloud in the horizon. A storm of emotions must be raging in him and that's what worried Kisame. He knew Itachi wouldn't tell him, ever, what's going through his mind when he remembers the huge sacrifice he made for his brother. It didn't matter how close they became. Uchiha Sasuke was a topic that would never be brought into their conversations.

He didn't understand Itachi, how he could so calmly sit there yet he had been a concentration of rage not an hour ago. He didn't understand the devotion the raven haired teen had for his brother, the affection that showed clearly in his rare smiles while he slept and dreamed of the times little Sasuke would follow him around. Kisame had seen that smile, the one reserved solely for Sasuke, and for reasons unknown, his supposedly cold heart would clench every time he saw it. Those moments were the ones that reminded him that even the untouchable Uchiha Itachi was human, that he had a weakness, too... That he could hurt in ways far worse than any physical wound would if he were ever injured.

Itachi had thrown everything away for his little brother. It was amazing, really, how someone could be so selfless. Itachi was the best of the best. With his talent and character, not to mention devotion to his village, he could have become Hokage. He could have remained in a shinobi village and became one of the most feared shinobi to ever live. He could have had students of his own, become an adviser. He could have led the Uchiha clan, had a family of his own, kids. He could have become a legend... and he had thrown it all away for his little brother's sake. He had spent all his little brother's life protecting Sasuke that he must have eventually forgotten how to take care of _himself_.

To sacrifice one's own life by dying is one thing. People say it is the ultimate sacrifice and sign of love. They obviously don't know what it's like to throw your life away yet keep on living. That's what Itachi did. His life, his purpose now was to be the wall Sasuke must jump over in order to become stronger. He was not a shinobi, nor was he a person. He was the older brother that must be surpassed and defeated. Kisame knew Itachi would let Sasuke kill him one day, despite the incurable disease already killing him from the inside for a couple of years now. Instead of letting himself succumb to the disease and die with minimal pain, Itachi continued to stay as that immovable wall that Sasuke must climb and jump over, never faltering, never showing weakness. He lived with the pain of his sickness and the blindness of his overused eyes. How he could still see anything, Kisame had no idea. He lived because his brother needed him to live so he could get stronger, so Itachi could ensure Sasuke would never experience that same blindness.

And it must have hurt, knowing someone so important to you hated you, cursed you, wanted to hunt you down to kill you ... But Itachi prowled on. It hurt him much more that his brother had been so isolated ... that is, until he one day saw Sasuke bickering with a blond boy his age as if they were an old married couple. He had taken up a habit of using one of his days off to sneak back into the village and watch over his brother from afar. So when he one day returned smiling from one of his infiltrations, Kisame couldn't help but ask why and Itachi told him all about Sasuke's little crush on the blond. He was so joyous that Kisame couldn't help but be happy for his prick little brother, too. He personally thought someone as wonderful as Itachi deserved better but it was Sasuke who could put the light back in those dark eyes and for that, Kisame will tolerate him ... somewhat.

Itachi had given his everything for Sasuke and had made his world revolve around him. He was his little brother, his most important person. Kisame knew he will never understand brothers who fight over trivial things such as land, money, power or other material possessions. If Itachi had something Sasuke wanted, he would give it to him in a heartbeat, if not faster. He would never understand how brothers grew jealous of each other, though that was partially because he was the older brother and a genius; he always got the attention, whether he wanted it or not. Itachi had once told the Mist deserter that he had done his best to make his father pay more attention to Sasuke, not wanting his brother to blame him for Fugaku's lack of interest in the younger Uchiha brother. And Itachi will never understand how brothers grew to hate one another, despite causing his own brother to hate him.

Itachi will simply never understand how brothers grew apart.

"Kisame?" The blue man startled when he heard his name being called by the object of his thoughts for the last half an hour. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Itachi's smaller, warmer hands settled on his bigger ones, making him release his cloak. Luckily, Itachi had quick reflexes and the black and red material didn't even splash the water before he caught it. Black eyes turned back to look at him and a flash of worry passed through them. "Are you alright? You have been spacing out a lot since we got here."

Kisame didn't know if he wanted to laugh or to cry. Was _he_ alright?! It hasn't been _Kisame_ that just had the cold brutal reality slap him in the face! Itachi had just seen what he could have been if he didn't love his brother so much. He had just seen something that made him question everything he had done over the years for the younger Uchiha. After all, how could he know if he did the right thing, if his decision to make himself the bad guy was really something that would have benefited his brother? And instead of worrying about himself and his numerous problems, here Itachi was, worrying about Kisame. It just made Itachi all the more special and precious in Kisame's eyes.

"I'm fine, Itachi-san." He actually let himself grin gently as to brush off the other's worries. Itachi saw that he as Kisame _was_ fine but that he was worrying about something, probably himself. "But what about you?"

"Me?" The raven haired one asked and Kisame wondered if he should just let it go.

"Yes." He didn't feel the need to elaborate and Itachi didn't need him to. Just a couple of words was enough for him to understand the point. He was just like that. And Kisame watched now as Itachi's face sort of darkened as his thoughts went back to whatever he had been thinking about before Kisame had distracted him. The shark suddenly felt bad for reminding him of those obviously unpleasant thoughts but he knew Itachi will need to get it out sooner or later. Better it be through them talking than through Deidera getting some nightmares that will tear his mind apart when he accidentally says something stupid that will for once piss Itachi off.

He was surprised when, after five awkward minutes of silence, Itachi spoke. "Am I a bad brother?" That was not what he was expecting but he should have guessed that's what was crossing Itachi's mind. "Is what I did to Sasuke any different to what that boy did to his brother?"

"No," Itachi's head snapped up at the bland answer. Kisame kept his face straight. "You're not a bad brother." He put a heavy hand on Itachi's shoulder, the big palm covering it from the neck to the slump that lead to the arms. He allowed his thumb to caress that smooth pale skin and Itachi seemed to relax under his touch. That's another bad side to Itachi being the perfect, untouchable person that he was: he was, as a result, touch starved. He wasn't the type of person to initiate contact but he greatly welcomed it when it was offered, even if it didn't seem that way. "In fact, you're the best brother in the whole world. Sasuke should be happy and grateful to have you." Itachi allowed the blue skinned man to cradle his face and head, his big fingers entangled in luscious grayish black hair as those oil colored orbs observed him intensely. The intensity of his black eyes usually left people intimidated by Itachi, but Kisame just found them beautiful and captivating. He didn't fear them at all. "And no. Don't you dare compare yourself to that piece of trash. You did what you had to to keep your brother safe and to prevent a war. What he did was a betrayal of the worst kind and he did it because of selfishly wanting to live. You're not alike at all."

For just the barest second, relief swam in those midnight depths before it was wiped away. It was, however, replaced with gratitude and affection as a small smile stretched full, pale lips. "Thank you, Kisame." He further stunned the swordsman by leaning up on his tiptoes and placing a chaste kiss to the underside of the taller man's jaw, since he couldn't quite reach a cheek. "I think I needed to hear that."

"N-no pro-problem!" Kisame said as he hastily turned around, facing away from his partner so the younger man wouldn't see his outrageous blush. He looked over his shoulder when he heard the rustling of wet cloth and the splashing of water and saw Itachi effectively cleaning out his cloak with a barely visible smile on his face. His eyes were no longer dulled by the troubling thoughts of maybe being a bad big brother for Sasuke and he seemed to have relaxed for the moment.

Yes, Uchiha Itachi was many things: a genius, a prodigy, a shinobi, an Akatsuki member, a missing nin, an S-rank criminal, the Clan Killer, the youngest ever ANBU, an unknown hero. But first and foremost, he was Sasuke's big brother, whether the younger Uchiha accepted it or not.

Though he didn't know anything about the love of an older brother, Kisame still knew that it was the title that meant more to him than anything else in the world (bar Sasuke himself) and Itachi would die happy if he were to hear Sasuke call him that again, even if it were the last thing he were to ever hear.

So strange and strong was the love of an older brother.

OWARI

 **R &R**


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